Institutional Review Board (Cayuse Era)
How to find out if an IRB approval is required for my study?
You will require IRB oversight if you answered YES to EITHER of these following questions:
Am I engaged in research under MTSU Policy and Federal Regulations?
You are engaged in research if you are involved in a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Examples of research include:
- Surveys
- Interviews
- Observational Research
- Analysis of Archival Data
- Internet Research
- Social and Behavioral Research
- Ethnographic Research
- Educational Research
- Innovative Instructional Methods, Procedures, or Treatments
- Clinical Investigations
Does my research involve human subjects?
If you engage in any intervention or interaction with a person as part of your research, then human subjects are involved. Interaction or intervention involves direct contact with individuals or manipulation of an individual’s environment. Examples of intervention and interaction include performing physical exams, obtaining blood samples, performing X-rays, altering light and temperature, using student course materials, or archival data obtained from humans.
Please note that activities that do not involve human subjects or interventions that do not lead to generalizable knowledge (such as case studies or oral history projects) are not designated as research according to OHRP although they contribute to general knowledge.